Project Gambia @rhsgambia - Tumblr Blog

Day 6 Project Gambia 2018

Following a fantastic breakfast of fruit, peanut porridge, eggs, bread and cornflakes, we boarded the trucks and Land Rovers and hit the road. Passing the embassies, apartments and markets, we soaked up the sights as we travelled to Madiana.

A diverse array of transport from donkey carts and bicycles to Mercedes and trucks passed us along the way.

The bumpy journey into the countryside down dusty roads led to sights of farming and small holdings scattered across the land. The children of the local area waved and shouted to greet us as we made our way; an even bigger welcome awaited us at Madiana School.

A sea of blue uniforms washed over us in anticipation of the activities and treats we had in store. Crafting, colouring, face painting fun ran alongside the serious task of improving facilities for the long term benefit of the community. Everyone loved being involved and soaked up the excitement.

After lunch, we travelled to the Project Gambia shop where donations are being sold to raise funds to develop local communities. Then we returned to Half Dye school to complete our wall mural which included a rainbow, animals, everyday words and phrases and much more. The reward for our hard work in hot sun was a trip to the ice cream parlour. We enjoyed a variety of ice creams, cakes and slush puppies before returning to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool.

Dinner was - unanimously our favourite so far - spaghetti bolognese. We burned off any remaining energy and entertained the entire hotel by dancing alongside a local band until the clock chimes for bed.

Miss Bastock, first experience with Project Gambia

Day 4 Project Gambia 2018

After snoozing the alarm three times, we took our PG Tips teabags for an early breakfast-cornflakes today as it was even too early for the chirpy egg lady!

In traditional GMT (Gambian Maybe Time) the long journey to Sintet began later than planned with several stops along the way to collect locals and to load fizzy pop and paint on the truck roof.

Three sweaty hours later, the arrival in Sintet called for sun cream, sun hats and sunglasses. Naturally, like all Brits, we stood and complained about how hot we were (we didn’t believe the rumours).

First we visited the farm which Project Gambia has developed since 2012. We were told that it was a desert like area, unsuitable for crops but since the addition of a solar powered water pump and a fenced boundary, the villagers are now successfully growing enough crops to eat and sell. We were warmly welcomed, with drums and dancing (as always) and a villager showed us around the farm and their Cashew tree forest. A sack of precious cashew nuts can be sold for more than a month’s wage.

After an hour of baking in the farm field, we were so pleased to find our next job was to be painting the outside walls of the Medical Centre in 40c heat! Luckily two newborn babies provided a welcoming distraction, so the paintbrushes took a backseat for a moment. We were shocked and saddened by the lack of resources and appearance of the medical centre so we were glad to be making a difference and were proud of our hard work!

After a quick trip to the toilet (hole in the ground) we set off to the local village. We were once again welcomed by dancing and singing and even had a boogie ourselves! Face painting next - such chaos(excitement)- but lovely to see all of the children so proud of their matching cat faces! Balloons, footballs, nail varnish and bubbles also made an appearance to cheer up both children and adults alike!

The Gambian people are the most welcoming, caring and grateful people we have been lucky to meet and they ended our visit with a traditional Gambian meal for us all to enjoy.

We have been overwhelmed by how happy and generous the people are here, and we feel lucky to have had such a wonderful experience.

Mrs Jenkins and Mrs Shinner, Olive Hill Primary School. First experience in The Gambia.

Day 3 Project Gambia 2018

First things first, if you have read Iain’s blog there are a few things that need to be cleared up from yesterday. The goat that startled me was not small... it was a beast. Also I was not ‘showed the back door’ by said goat, I was simply unprepared for him and he caught me off guard.

We woke up to another overcast morning in Gambia, not that you would hear me banging on about it mind you. Where’s all the sun we were promised?

Our destination for the morning was a Methodist Special school to interact with children who had a range of physical and mental needs. When we arrived, there was a flood of children outside the school singing hymns as part of their assembly. The children showed no hesitation introducing themselves to us and making us feel at home, and even rushed out the classrooms to help us set up the activities we had brought with us.

Shortly after this, the local Gambian FA licenced referee (one of the students) got the football match underway, showcasing the new official football party blower whistle after the FA introduced budget cuts. But the attention was immediately diverted to local goal poaching hero Louie, who was ‘bangin um in for fun’. However, on the opposite end of the scale, Joe (Butterfingers) Pickering was between the sticks and he couldn’t catch a cold let alone a football. After this he decided to try and play outfield (with the key word being try). It wasn’t long before the ref had to take action and Butterfingers was shown a straight red. Iain Duff was his replacement, who.... I might say, is certainly past his prime. He described his actions in goal as Cat like, but he was more like a giraffe on roller-skates in all honesty. The rest of the players had seen enough after they had let in 100 goals between them and the ball was stolen and taken to a classroom.

Everyone agrees that the few hours spent at Methodist special school was one of the most joyful moments of our lives. The children’s happiness and energy through difficult times and poverty was truly inspirational and one would think by the way the children interacted with us, we had been friends for a lifetime. The goodbye we had to say at the end of the visit was extremely heart felt and it won’t be something we will forget in a hurry.

After lunch we were off to the school at Half Dye. At Half-Dye our mission was to paint the wall surronding the school grounds. We had a very vocal audience consisting of young Gambian children, offering support to us through singing throughout the entire process. Gillian was the orchestrator of the choir, busting out belters such as Go Faster, Slap it On and my personal favourite... Paint. But of course who else would it be other than Mr Duff to get overly excited and break his paint roller. If anyone reading this goes to Half-Dye in the future and sees a lonesome unpainted strip, you know who to blame.

After all the hard work, the entire school got into a big circle and started playing games with an energy and excitement that never faded. The smile on the children’s faces at was a heartwarming sight to see and although not economically wealthy, the sense of community in Gambia trumps wealth any day.

Oli Year 13 Stourbridge College, first Project Gambia experience.

Day 2 Project Gambia 2018

Oh for a B&Q; Pickering Picks a Fight with a Hornet; Burrows is Shown the Door by Local Goat, and much more...

It's been another busy day in Gambia, and as always, it started with eggs - you can have anything you like for breakfast at the African Village Hotel, as long as it's eggs, and today they were fried. To be fair, that's not all you can have, but the eggs are the stars of the show, lovingly cooked in front of you by the jolliest cook in West Africa, possibly the whole of Africa. I mean, where else do you get a chuckle in your eggs?

So, off we went to Half Dye school for a quick session of activities with the local children and the obligatory whitewashing of classroom walls. Simple, you might think, but no. Not when displays have been stuck to the walls with what seemed like a mixture of porridge and cement. That's what happens when you don't have Blu-Tac. Oh well, no problem - let's pop to B&Q and get a scraper...erm. No B&Q, no Wilkinson, no Screwfix: you get the idea. So, wet cloths and the other side of a board rubber and half-an-hour later: "Grrrrrr. This is hard work." But worth it. Worth it because with a few more hours work the children at Half-Dye school will have a classroom fit for purpose, and they deserve it because many of them live in the village of Kutosilo: our next port of call.

Kutosilo is where you are reminded of the incredible ability of humans to overcome adversity. Situated next to an enormous dump, the people of this village meet all the challenges that absolute poverty brings with smiles and hope. Even the coldest of hearts could not resist the warmth that runs through the veins of this village. And these, particularly the women, are the most talented, determined and hard-working people you could hope to meet. Why is it that their poverty imprisons them? Today, we met a woman who makes beautiful, intricate objects from palm leaves. In a trendy shop in the UK you would find people parting with eye-watering amounts for these, but here, perhaps a couple of dollars worth is all they will fetch. As we left the village, Emily said, "It's 2018! Why are people still living like this?" What can you say? Not a lot, but you can do something. Before we leave this year, mosquito nets (vital for the rainy season) will be distributed to the families along with solar-powered lighting. This is short-term, but it helps to keep people alive while the long-term work of providing an education to the children of Kotusilo at Half-Dye school progresses, because education is a human right, and the best long-term route out of poverty.

After a quick lunch (no eggs), back at the hotel, we were off again. This time to the village of Madiana, the home village of Dembo, our transport man. The journey to Madiana is like a rough sea crossing, with added extras: the trees. You have an uneven road, well sort of a road, and trees desperate to shed their unwanted branches into the truck, including whatever's in those branches. For Joe (I'm not scared of anything) Pickering, it was all a bit much. To be fair, if you'd spent hours perfectly placing every hair in the right place, you'd squeal and yelp like a scolded puppy if a hornet had the temerity to land on your head, wouldn't you? It's ok, after the swift application of some products and a hair dryer, Joe became the man he knows he can be again. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for for Oli ( I'm from Sedgley, not Wombourne) Burrows...

Project Gambia has funded the erection of fences to create market gardens for the women of Madiana. These gardens are a valuable source of food and income for the women of this village. So when Oli (you know it: Sedgley not Wombourne) turned up with a dog-head on his shirt, the local goats were alarmed. "No Dingle is coming into our garden," you could hear them bleat. So when Oli (you know it now) tried to enter the garden, a very, very small goat launched himself at the intruding dog head. It was no match, perhaps an omen for the upcoming Premier League experience for Wolverhampton (cough, choke) Wanderers, and Oli had to admit, "I was very scared!" You know he didn't say "very" - to be honest, we don't really know what he said (some ancient Sedgley dialect probably), but it was "very" funny.

In other news: Steph is going for the world record of insect bites on one ankle; Beth has WON the world record for the number of children you can hold hands with at the same time; Cody achieved the highest score for the belly-flop diving competition in the pool; Kara is prepared for everything (see Steph above) and Beth, well she's not quite sure what continent she's on yet.

Thanks for following us - more to come!

Iain Duff English Lecturer at Stourbridge College

Day 1 Project Gambia 2018

After a long journey and a deep sleep, we all woke up refreshed and ready for what the day had to offer. First of all, before anything else... breakfast. We were greeted with a buffet of fruit, cereal and tea with a lovely woman making omelettes.

Once full to the brim with food we met with Karramo who gave us the itinerary for the day: first stop sports day with the Half-Dye children. We gathered onto the trucks and travelled through the sandy streets. Unfortunately, the weather was overcast as there is a sandstorm from the Sahara dessert, so it was very arid. During our journey we were greeted with waves, smiles and shouts which made the incessant beeps from the horns of cars bearable. The scenery around us was unlike anything we have ever seen; along the streets people gathered to sell fruits, clothes, fridges, bikes, tyres, and anything else that can be displayed on the side of a road. The Gambians also have quite a taste for very loud sofas and bed frames!

As we turned towards Half-Dye the road became very bumpy, to the point where we were bouncing in our seats like a child’s basketball. When we got to the school, we were greeted with smiles and hands to hold. We were dragged off (quite literally) to the sports field to watch the children compete in their sports.

Four of us were volunteered to judge; we sat down and watched the proceedings. Wave after wave of children gathered around our seating area, all screaming where they were placed. The end came, and the children spent the last two rounds eating bread and playing musical chairs. The blue team prevailed.

We danced in celebration and watched the children celebrate. Unfortunately, every celebration must come an end.

We gathered back on the truck following many hugs, kisses and goodbyes. The trip back was short and sweet; we had all worked up an appetite and couldn’t wait to go back for a second round.

We have settled into a routine: back on the truck, back down the streets full of people and back down the bumpy road.

We went into the actual school this time and walked into music, dance and food. Children who we had met earlier in the day ran up to us and hugged us, welcoming a friendly face. We looked around their classrooms, analysing the similarities and differences to home and here. They had chairs, tables and paintings on the wall, depicting rainbows and dogs. A very typical primary school just in the middle of a sandy village. We were instructed to gather face paints and nail varnish to treat the children. The leaders of our group lined up all the children and sent them to our stations. Two hundred children later and we have an array of rainbows, snakes, flowers and stars, all with multicoloured nails. Now these personalities danced and sang for us, dragged us onto the floor to dance with them and celebrate.

It made the experience much more sad when it was time to leave; the departure was once again full of hugs and kisses which were full of love between us and the children.

And there we were again back on the truck, back down the bumpy roads and back through the fascinating streets. I could bore you with the details of us relaxing in the pool but I don’t want you to feel too much sympathy for us...

Kara Year 13 Stourbridge College, First Project Gambia experience.

Project Gambia 2018

Daily blog posts from this years trip will appear here.

Day 12 Project Gambia 2017

Today, four giants of the high street fashion world descended on a small shop in the Latrikunda district of Gambia to prepare for the launch of the first Project Gambia clothes shop. Luke ‘Gok Wan’ Harrison, Ben 'Sir Philip Green’ Furber, Sophie 'Mary Portas’ Jones and Molly 'Stella McCartney’ Jones worked tirelessly in the searing heat to transform a bundle of clothes in a room into what could easily be mistaken for a mini Selfridges.

The shop will officially open tomorrow in one of the most poverty stricken areas that Project Gambia serves. Project Gambia has funded the initial set-up costs and will support the shop in its first few months, including employing a shop manager, while it develops into a viable, self-supporting enterprise.

In Gambia, you will often see adults and children dressed in recognisable brands, including UK supermarket brands, and in the football kits of top teams from across Europe, but these clothes, bought at markets, are not cheap and they are often in very poor condition. Project Gambia’s shop aims to provide good quality, second-hand clothing (kindly donated by its supporters in the UK) at affordable prices.

We will continue to ship clothing stock throughout the year, so if you have any clothing to donate, we would love to hear from you.

Iain Duff Lecturer at Stourbridge college 2nd year adult volunteer

Day 11

Today, some people on the Friday Trip went to Half Dye school and some went to the Special School. We were part of the group that went to the Special School. Having went yesterday, we had already met some of the children. It was amazing to walk back in and for some of them to recognise us; they are all so lovely and friendly! At the Special School we played football, coloured, danced to music, made crowns and played with bubbles. Seeing their reactions to the bubbles made us very happy! The conditions of the school shocked us because it was so basic. Those children deserve so much better. Despite this all the children are all extremely positive and made us all feel very welcome. They are all so appreciative for what they have, even though it isn't a lot. This afternoon, we went to Nena's for batik and tiedie. We learnt how to do batik and made our own batik designs - it was quite tricky. While our batiks were being dyed, we got to look at and buy some of the things that Nena was selling. All the tiedye and batik things she sold were beautiful! We also had the chance to pay for one of our tops to be tiedyed or batik'd. We had our tops tiedyed and we can't wait to see the result of them when we get them back. We really enjoyed today and are looking forward to our last couple of days in The Gambia! Sophie Jones and Melanie Thomas

Day 10

Today we went to a Gambian style assembly at Half Dye school, and it is very different to an English one. It is so much more fun, chaotic and very noisy! At the beginning, they sang the national anthem. It's amazing to see that even in such a poor area people love life and make the most of what they have. The children are always smiling and seem very proud of their country and their school. Ridgewood gave some prizes to students who had made the most progress. Three students from every grade (year) got prizes and they were extremely grateful. It made me think about how important education is for everyone. At the end, everyone got up to dance together and I danced with a little girl who was about 6. It was great to look around and see so many different people dancing together. Later in the day, we went back to the school and there were no children there, so it was much, much quieter! We painted one of the classrooms with some things to help students learn about food, people who help us, safety and English grammar. In The Gambia everyone is amazingly friendly and very happy, even though lots of them don't have much. So far I have had an incredible experience and it's made me realise how much we have and how much we take for granted. Luke

Day 9

Today we visited Sintet and as always the atmosphere was emphatic. We visited the solar powered water pump installed on their main farm. Speaking to a local called Musah this really is a fundamental part of their day to day lives. Three members of each compound tend to the crops everyday, and roughly 2/3 of the produce is eaten in the village and the remainder is sold. The people of Sintet are not just grateful for the help and donations, but for the aid of making them self sustainable, and the ability for them to thrive without us is what they are most thankful for. Like all the places we have visited over this week there is an overwhelming sense of community, and we really felt a part of their family. We have been welcomed with open arms and allowed to eat their delicious food and dance alongside them. Later on in the day, a few of us were lucky enough to go and help paint the new medical centre, which is doing the best it possibly can to aid pregnant women and their children. Despite the conditions all procedures are carried out with sterile equipment; you get a real sense that the people who work there are passionate about proper and clean medical care for all. Sintet like all places we have visited is inspiring to many as all though they have little assets they have a lot of love. We could all learn a lot from the people of Sintet. Olivia Humphrey Year 12 2nd visit

Day 8 blogger Abi

Day 8

The journey around Kutosilo village was completely different to what we’re used to back home, however it was certainly interesting; the living conditions were a real eye opener.

After getting off the truck, we were greeted with a warm welcome from the children in the village: they were full of smiles and hugs. We looked around their village and visited some of their homes. The area is very poor and sits at the edge of a rubbish dump. Seeing the children running over the rubbish was harrowing.

WARNING! The following contains images of students doing chores at Kutosilo village! Even though these people have next to nothing, they’re all full of warmth and happiness. When I was there, I drew water from the well, washed clothes and walked with the villagers. It made me realise how lucky we are back home.

After our trip to Kutosilo, we continued on to the school at Madiana. We were greeted by the students and teachers, who we later danced with. It was an amazing experience. After the dancing, we decorated the walls of the classrooms, to make them more child friendly. We were given an amazing lunch of rice and vegetables, kindly provided by the villagers.

The day was ended by a visit to the ice-cream parlour, which was well needed after a long day’s work. I’m looking forward to the rest of this life-changing week.

Abi Kemmings

Day 7 blogger Lee Clark

Day 7

I’ve worked with a lot of charities as part of my role working for the new online fundraising platform, GivePenny.com. However, Project Gambia holds a particularly special place in my heart as one of the first charities to partner with us to help raise more online and in different ways, as well as being a charity located around the corner from where I live!

When I was invited to travel as a volunteer with the 10th anniversary trip to The Gambia to gain a deeper understanding of the work the charity does, I jumped at the chance and couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

Three days into my trip to The Gambia, I could never have predicted the peaks and troughs of emotion I have experienced already.

I’ve been faced by the people raising families, building communities and finding ways to cope in the hardest of environments (both economic and from a climate point of view). I’ve never felt like I have in those moments: in one moment close to tears, desperate to take suffering or hardship away, but then also inspired by displays of imagination, happiness and love.

Between excursions to visit different projects, having time on the bus and at the hotel to properly reflect is leading me to identify and hold on to an overwhelming sense of gratitude, along with a resolution to make a difference whenever I can. Whether it’s holding hands with a shoeless 18-month old wandering a rubbish tip, high-fiving every last kid at a school or taking the time to find out more from local parents, teachers or traders about the lives they lead and the wishes they have for their country, community, home and family, every single little act of kindness matters.

Today, I witnessed a moment that will stay with me forever. During this morning’s craft session at the school in Half Dye, a small boy wandered in to the classroom I was in. The kids invited in today are not normally able to access education due to lack of funding, so you kind of expect them to struggle a little, in terms of understanding how to act in this type of setting. However, this boy seemed more distant than the others, somewhat disconnected from his surroundings. He slumped into his chair at the craft table, loosely gripping his felt tip pen and piece of paper. He then rested his chin on the table, a blank stare on his face. I moved over to his table and squatted next to him, picking up a different colour pen and did my best to help him get started with some colouring in. It was a struggle to pull him into the moment, but he at least started to use the pen to make light contact with the paper.

It was at this moment that one of the students stood up from the other side of the table and made her way over to the boy, sitting herself next to him. I then moved over to the other side of the room to work with other kids arriving and being let in to begin their own craft sessions.

Over the course of the next twenty minutes, the student gently coaxed the little boy in to the activity, presenting different coloured pens, quietly talking to him, offering encouragement.

It was subtle at first, but there was a distinct moment when the little boy looked into the eyes of the the student and began to find himself. A sky blue pen seemed to bring the boy out of whatever place he was in and in to the room. A smile appeared (in both the boy’s face, as well as the student’s) and it was magical.

I’ve always believed that what most people call bucket-list experiences are best shared with others. I have to say that the students from Ridgewood High School have been at the heart of the most inspirational moments I have witnessed and I’m grateful to have been here to see those moments. Teenagers are quite often given a “bad press” by us elders, but despite the tensions that come with growing up, this group have not hesitated to offer the imagination, happiness and love needed in the situations where it calls for it most.

Incidentally, I’m using GivePenny to raise money and I’m being sponsored for every day I’m here! Here’s the link: www.givepenny.com/makeitcount

Day 6

This is our third day in The Gambia, today we woke up and revisited Half Dye school, it was spectacular. At Half Dye school we were doing three different activities: Mask making, bracelet making and colouring. This was one of my favourite parts as the children had big grins on their faces, when they were doing the various activities. After lunch, we traveled to Nenah's house, where we were taught how to do some Batik and how it works. This was absolutely marvellous and a fantastic experience. Afterwards we ventured to Icy' wonderland, here we had some delicious, refreshing ice cream. This day has shown me that so little can do so much and make them over joyed. Tom Clarke Year 10

Day 5

My second day in The Gambia and first working day of the trip has truly been amazing! This morning we were all woken up bright and early to start the day at the New Life school. When we arrived we were greeted with smiling faces and open arms. We were given the chance to look at some of the classrooms and play games with the students. After leaving the school, we headed to Kotusilo village to experience for ourselves what struggles some of the Gambian families face. After this we headed to Half Dye, where the third story of the school is currently being built; we were then split into groups and started to paint various educational devices that would benefit the children and there further education. I thoroughly enjoyed this activity as I know it will help the students and guide them through there learning. The final stop of the day was to visit the clothes shop that Project Gambia has set up to provide cheaper but good quality items for all ages. The items of clothing have been kindly donated by many people and will provide families with affordable clothing. Overall, my first working day has given me an insight to a 3rd world country and the perseverance of the poorer families has inspired me. Rosie Narrowmore Year 10

Day 5 at the Special School

The Methodist special school was an overwhelming and eye opening experience for all year 11 students and adults who got the opportunity to visit today while in the Gambia. We were greeted with smiley faces as the children waited in anticipation and excitement to partake in the activities we arranged for them. Nail and face painting, colouring, card making and a lot of dancing were just a few of the fun filled actives that we did with these amazing children. Shocked to say the least at the children’s positive outlook on life despite the situation they are all in, their happy attitude and constant smiles really made us think how lucky we are and what we take for granted. Back home in the UK people with similar medical conditions are fortunate enough to receive the right help they need whereas here in the Gambia the children are not as privileged to these medical necessities. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the rest of our time in The Gambia making more life long memories with great people Lottie Bowen, Charlie Poole, Ellie Wiggins and Sam Purslow

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Project Gambia